The Paris riots, well into their second week at this point, are the inevitable result of Socialism and multiculturalism run amuck. What else can one expect when Leftist policies prevail, racial division replaces political debate, and angry, largely unemployed subcultures are created in the name of "fairness?" French Socialism and reluctance to assimilate the growing Muslim population are the underlying causes of the spreading violence. A society with enclaves of resentful, culturally-segregated groups of people who are not held responsible for their own lives is a recipe for disaster. The recent events in Paris should serve as a warning to all Americans: stop the drift towards multiculturalism and Socialism before it's too late.
Multiculturalism had its roots in the Left's response to the civil rights movement of the 1960's. When you can't segregate populations by law, you persuade them to segregate themselves. The trend continues today with the Left's insistence that Hispanic immigrants should "celebrate their diversity" instead of celebrating being American. America was founded upon immigration, and drew strength from blending elements of various cultures into the mix, not separating them.
Whoever first coaxed people -- some of whom could trace their American ancestry back to the Revolution -- into wearing clothing, naming their children and even celebrating artificial holidays based on some mythical pan-African culture was a marketing genius. Democrats, more of whom voted against the 1964 Civil Rights Act than Republicans, rushed to cast the blame for this subcultural seclusion on their political foes. Race pimps and hatemongers continue to feed the resentment of people who voluntarily isolate themselves from the mainstream, telling them they're being oppressed. The victim culture has taken on a life of its own.
Whenever a black person works hard to make a successful life for him or herself without playing on or pandering to victimhood, the multiculturalists show their true colors, as it were. Condoleezza Rice, for instance, was Provost of Stanford University and National Security Advisor before she was chosen to be Secretary of State -- America's representative to the world. In her current position, she replaced Colin Powell, who had previously been Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- the highest military position within the Department of Defense. Liberals have reviled both for not being "black enough," calling Rice "Aunt Jemima" and Powell "Uncle Tom."
Maryland's Lt. Governor Michael Steele has also been called "Uncle Tom" as well as "Sambo" for not embracing the subculture of eternal black victimhood pushed by the Left. Protesters even threw Oreo cookies at him during a debate. That's the end result of multiculturalism for you -- throwing food at people who don't toe the line on race-based politics, shouting them down with childish antics, not even allowing them to speak.
France's state-enforced multiculturalism has taken the form of religious suppression more than anything else. The French government, claiming that they promote tolerance, respect, and free exercise of religion, has instituted laws aimed squarely against the Muslim culture. France's "headscarf law," for example, banned the wearing of all religious symbols in public schools... including the hijab. In striving to offend no one, the government has, in fact, offended a large segment of the population.
Socialism is the government taking over responsibility for feeding, housing and clothing you, managing your health care and retirement, telling you where to live and how, even raising your children. Socialist governments turn productive, responsible citizens into helpless infants. In order to pay for all of that care, the government increases the tax burden on its most productive citizens and corporations, reducing economic growth and forcing businesses to reduce the workforce. This, of course, increases the number of citizens dependant on government assistance, which increases the cost of caring for them. The purpose of a Socialist government is to perpetuate the government and increase its control.
For years France has had the sort of Socialist government the Left in America would love to emulate. Socialist policies drove their unemployment rate to 10%, though the Chirac government has recently been cutting taxes in order to spur economic growth and reduce unemployment. (Can we please stop pretending it hasn't worked in America now?) Nevertheless, French workers are guaranteed 35-hour work weeks and a minimum of five weeks of vacation by law. Between that sort of productivity drain and high taxes, private enterprise is not doing well in France. There are no jobs for a rapidly-growing, self-segregated minority segment of the country -- Muslims, who comprise between seven and ten percent of the population. We should not seek to emulate Socialist policies that -- combined with rampant multiculturalism -- would lead to the same situation in America.
When people are taught to revel in being cultural outsiders, they are bound to feel inferior and resentful towards the majority. That's what the Left wants. When responsibility for their own lives and decisions is removed, people also tend to feel inferior and resentful. That's what the Left wants. When a critical mass of isolated, resentful people is reached, the resulting explosion might tear the entire society apart. That's what the Left wants. We must take steps to avoid the impending dual train wreck of multiculturalism and Socialism, before it's too late.
